![\"Aidan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2238653181-1.jpg\")
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Detroit Lions defensive end missed practice on Wednesday, November 12, due to an injury, and the team has announced an update.<\/p>\n
Among the many moves made by the Detroit Lions<\/a> this offseason following their 9-8 campaign in the 2025 NFL Season was the decision to not retain linebacker Alex Anzalone, who signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> on March 12 after having previously played the last five seasons in the Motor City<\/p>\n One of the defensive anchors for the Lions during their most recents stretch of success, Anzalone had started 73 total games for the club, amassing an impressive 490 tackles with 9.0 sacks, 33 passes defensed, and three interceptions.<\/p>\n But now, he\u2019s taken his talents to the Sunshine State, but still keeps in touch with his now-former teammates, one of whom was nearly brought to tears thanks to a touching message from his young soon.<\/p>\n Alex Anzalone Reveals The Message His Young Son Delivered That Almost Made Aidan Hutchinson Cry<\/p>\n Anzalone made an appearance on \u201cThe Schultz Report\u201d with host Jordan Schultz, and was asked about his departure from the Lions. He said that he and a few of his former teammates were golfing in Tampa Bay, where he chose to sign, and that his five year-old son Cooper had a message for Aidan Hutchinson that nearly had him in tears.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a grieving process, you know, like, and it\u2019s more of the family side and my teammates\u2019 side than the football,\u201d Anzalone said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt was me, Derrick Barnes and Aidan Hutchinson golfing out here in Tampa the other day. I was like, \u2018I\u2019ll take my son Cooper with me\u2019, we\u2019re shooting some content for Aidan. At the end of it, we\u2019re leaving, and I didn\u2019t even know this happened, you know, I didn\u2019t tell Cooper this at all.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he went up to Aidan and was like, \u2018Mr. Aidan, I\u2019m going to miss you so much,\u2019 and gave him a hug.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe texted me saying he damn near cried.\u201d<\/p>\n But at the start of the golf game, Anzalone said that young Cooper was in a better mood and appeared to have already fully switched allegiances from the Lions to the Bucs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first got to the golf course, Cooper ran up to Aidan and was like, \u2018Go Bucs!\u2019\u201d Anzalone said. \u201cHe\u2019s moved on, he said, \u2018Daddy, the Lions didn\u2019t want you anymore, we\u2019re with the Bucs now, we\u2019re good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Alex Anzalone Signed With The Buccaneers<\/p>\n Before the start of free agency, NFL<\/a> Insider Matt Bowen accurately predicted that the Buccaneers would be an ideal landing spot for Anzalone.<\/p>\n coach Todd Bowles needs more from his inside linebackers. Anzalone is quick to key the run, and Bowles is one of the best at scheming his linebackers on pressure stunts,\u201d Bowen wrote in February<\/a>. \u201cTampa Bay can add another productive veteran on defense here. Anzalone had 2.5 sacks and eight pass breakups in Detroit last season.\u201d<\/p>\n Anzalone, who attended college at Florida, was selected in the third round (76th overall) by the New Orleans Saints<\/a> in the 2017 NFL Draft. So far during his NFL career, he\u2019s racked up 613 tackles, 13 sacks, and three forced fumbles.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMichael Whitaker<\/a> Michael Whitaker is a sports journalist based in metro Detroit with nearly a full decade of experience with publications like Clutch Points and The Hockey News. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Eastern Michigan University. More about Michael Whitaker<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lions\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Detroit Lions defensive end missed practice on Wednesday, November 12, due to an injury, and the team…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":861838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[146,113,2506,7,147,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-861837","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-lions","8":"tag-detroit","9":"tag-detroit-lions","10":"tag-detroitlions","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-lions","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116371769743007889","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/861838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}